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People often criticize those who write
“Christmas” as “Xmas.” They shouldn’t. It’s one of the
highest compliments you can pay to Jesus. You’ve heard the saying that the people
who have really arrived are those who are known by one name. Like Elvis
or Cher or Waylon or Willie or DeGaulle or Lincoln. Well, Jesus came to
be known by one letter! In the Aramaic language -- the language Jesus spoke and the language the New
Testament was written in – the symbol for “Ch” is “X.” In the
first few hundred years after Jesus lived and did His works, people
began to honor him by using just one letter for His name. That letter
was :”X,” meaning “Ch.” When Christians were being persecuted and
were giving their lives up for their loyalty to Jesus, they often had to
hide out in caves and tombs. They would scratch “X” on the walls as
their final testimony for Him. Yes, there are some who use “Xmas” who
may do it to disparage Jesus, not knowing they are actually
complimenting Him. Accept the humor. Even in trying to dishonor Him they
unknowingly honor Him more! There’s an old saying, “X marks the
spot.” I like to imagine people who follow Jesus as having a big X on
their hearts. “X” is also the way we check off things on a list of important things to do. So when you look at that list of chores with your Xs in front of them, see them as being blessed by the Christ. You have done them and released them to God. If you want to check me out, you can get a good
Greek-English lexicon at most religious book stores. It will shed great
light on Biblical passages. You
don’t have to learn to speak the language to use it as a study tool. I
took two years of Aramaic Greek as my foreign language in college and it
increased my understanding of the Bible. If you buy a lexicon look at the Aramaic
alphabet symbols in the front and you will see in the alphabet that
“Ch” is “X.” ▬▬▬ Write Dalton at DownhomeP@aol.com or DaltonRoberts@Comcast.net or access his website at www.daltonroberts.com. His writings are gathered at www.IPSFeatures.com.
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